RESEMBLANCE (n.)
TERM USED AS TRANSLATIONS IN QUOTATION
GELIJKENIS (nld.)TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
RESSEMBLANCE (fra.)FILTERS
LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
The first sitting to worke in particular.
{Particular directions of the Picture.} The comlinesse of the face consists in three abilities, Beautifull, Colour or Complexion ; true Proportion and Favour ; and Grace in the Countenance ; The curious Artist must watch and catch the lovely graces, witty smilings, short and suddain, which pass like Lightning. […].
The first Colour to begin the face, are the Redds of the Cheeks and Lipps […]. I have seen Pictures of a good Master begun, and dead-coloured only, that neer at hand they seemed exceeded Rough, Uneven, and unpleasant ; yet being viewed at a distance from your Eye, they appear very smooth, neat and delicate : therefore I shall perswade you in this first worke, not to study or regard curiosity, or neatness of your Colours ; but a bold and judicious manner of expressing, what you see in the Life.
[…].
Second sitting.
[…].
Third Sitting.
{Third sitting.} The third sitting will be only spent in giving the strong touches necessary for rounding the face, which now will appear better for observation, the apparrell, hair, and ground, being already finished.
{Likenesse, Resemblance, Countenance, Marks, Moles.} In this sitting therefore observe, what ever may conduce to the likeness and resemblance, which above all is the principal aime : viz. skin-molds, smiling, or glanceing of the eye, descending or contracting the mouth ; narrowing the eyes, with smiling : to which purpose, find occasion of discourse, or cause the party to be in action, or to regard you with a Joviall merry and discoursive aspect. Wherein you must be ready and apprenhensive to steal observations, and to express them with a quick bold and constant hand, ever remembring not to make the deeper shadows too darke and obscure, as happily you may think they appear in the Life, which in Painting (as deep as the Life) is no good Rule to follow, and in Limning is a note of very necessary consequences ; conclude your face with these observations, that the eye gives the life ; the nose, the flavour ; the mouth, the likeness.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
But here by the way, let no man think we mean by this Coloree (as they term it) in Drawing and Graving, such a position of the Hatches as the Chevalier Wolson has invented, and Pietro Santo the Jesuite {Theatre d’honeur. Tessera Gentil.} has follow’d, to distinguish their Blazons by : But a certain admirable effect, emerging from the former union of Lights, and shadowes ; such as the Antient would expresse by Tonus, or the Pythagoreans in their Proportions, and imitated in this Art, where the shades of the Hatches intend, and remit to the best resemblance of painting, the Commissures of the light and dark parts, imperceptably united, or at least so sweetly conducted, as tat the alteration could no more certainly be defin’d, then the Semitons, or Harmoge in musick ; which though indeed differing ; yet it is so gentle, and so agreeable, as even ravishes our senses, by a secret kind of charme not to be expressed in words, or discerned by the ignorant.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Several Observations, in drawing a Head after the Life
And because the greatest difficulty, and principal parts of this Art consist in some part in drawing the lively Resemblance of a Face, therefore I thought it very necessary to add this as a further Direction to draw any Face after the life. Therefore if you will draw any Face after the life, that it may resemble the party you draw it after ; take notice in the First place of the Physiognomy or circumference of the Face, whiter it be round or long, Fat or Lean, Big or Little, […], then you must diligently and judiciously observe and discern all the Gentle Master Touches, which gives the Spirit and Life to a Face, and discovers the Grace or Disposition of the Mind, wherein lieth the whole Grace of the Work, and the Credit of the Artist, you may easily discern a smiling Countenance in the Corners of the Mouth, when they turn up a little ; […] ; there are also some touches about the Eyes and Mouth which you must diligently observe, which gives the Spirit and Life to a Face.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
To be a good Face-Painter, a degree of the Historical, and Poetical Genius is requisite, and a great Measure of the other Talents, and Advantages which a good History-Painter must possess : Nay some of them, particularly Colouring, he ought to have in greater Perfection than is absolutely necessary for a History-Painter.
‘Tis not enough to make a Tame, Insipid Resemblance of the Features, so that every body shall know who the Picture was intended for, nor even to make the Picture what is often said to be prodigious Like : (This is often done by the lowest of Face-Painters, but then ‘tis ever with the Air of a Fool, and an Unbred Person ;) A Portrait-Painter must understand Mankind, and enter into their Characters, and express their Minds as well as their Faces : And as his Business is chiefly with People of Condition, he must Think as a Gentleman, and a Man of Sense, or ‘twill be impossible to give Such their True, and Proper Resemblances.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
But the Face-Painter is under a greater Constraint in both respects than he that paints History ; Additional Grace, and Greatness he is to give, above what is to be found in the Life, must not be thrown in too profusely, the Resemblance must be preserv’d, and appear with Vigour ; the Picture must have Both. Then it may be said, that the Gentleman, or Lady makes a Fine, or a Handsome Picture : But the Likeness not being regarded, ‘tis not They, but the Painter that makes it ; nor is there any great Difficulty in making Such Fine Pictures.
I was lately observing with a great deal of Pleasure how the Ancients had succeeded in the three several ways of Managing Portraits : I happen’d to have then before me (amongst others) several Medals of the Emperor Maximinus, who was particularly remarkable for a long Chin : One Medal of him had That, but that the Artist might be sure of a Likeness he had Exaggerated it : Another had par’d off about half of it : But these as they wanted the Just Resemblance, so there was a Poverty in them ; they were destitute of that Life, and Spirit which the other had, where Nature seems to have been moore closely follow’d. In making Portraits we must keep Nature in View ; if we launch out into the Deep we are lost.